Friday, April 15, 2022
Rwanda scheme will cost more than the Ritz
Where to start on the UK Government's scheme to send single male asylum seekers to Rwanda? Morally, it is repugnant, a further step towards the UK becoming a pariah state, shunning international principles in the treatment of refugees, practically, it is a whole different ball game.
As the Independent reports, one Tory MP and former Minister is appalled at the new policy. Andrew Mitchell has branded Boris Johnson’s multi-million pound deal, which could see thousands of people flown over 4,000 miles to the African country, as “immoral”, and “impractical”, and says it will involve “astronomic” costs.
The paper says that the plans have been met with fierce opposition from charities and campaign groups who have urged ministers to abandon the “shamefully cruel” proposals, while the government also braces for human rights legal challenges in the courts:
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Mitchell said he recognised that ministers were attempting to tackle “what is a terrible problem” after 28,000 people came to the UK “illicitly” in 2021.
“The government is quite rightly trying to break the smugglers’ sordid and deathly model, and so I am absolutely behind them in doing that,” he said.
However, the former international development secretary added: “The problem with the scheme that they have announced is that I don’t think it will work.
“It is impractical, it is being condemned by churches and civil society, it is immoral and, above all for conservative advocates, it is incredible expensive.
“The costs are eye-watering. You’re going to send people 6,000 miles into central Africa - it looked when it was discussed in Parliament before that it would actually be cheaper to put each asylum seeker in the Ritz hotel in London.”
He added: “The government must tell Parliament precisly what they estimate these costs will be because they will be astronomic”.
Frankly, the whole scheme is an embarrassment.
As the Independent reports, one Tory MP and former Minister is appalled at the new policy. Andrew Mitchell has branded Boris Johnson’s multi-million pound deal, which could see thousands of people flown over 4,000 miles to the African country, as “immoral”, and “impractical”, and says it will involve “astronomic” costs.
The paper says that the plans have been met with fierce opposition from charities and campaign groups who have urged ministers to abandon the “shamefully cruel” proposals, while the government also braces for human rights legal challenges in the courts:
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Mitchell said he recognised that ministers were attempting to tackle “what is a terrible problem” after 28,000 people came to the UK “illicitly” in 2021.
“The government is quite rightly trying to break the smugglers’ sordid and deathly model, and so I am absolutely behind them in doing that,” he said.
However, the former international development secretary added: “The problem with the scheme that they have announced is that I don’t think it will work.
“It is impractical, it is being condemned by churches and civil society, it is immoral and, above all for conservative advocates, it is incredible expensive.
“The costs are eye-watering. You’re going to send people 6,000 miles into central Africa - it looked when it was discussed in Parliament before that it would actually be cheaper to put each asylum seeker in the Ritz hotel in London.”
He added: “The government must tell Parliament precisly what they estimate these costs will be because they will be astronomic”.
Frankly, the whole scheme is an embarrassment.
Comments:
<< Home
Remember there are elections coming up.Just what the right wingers need to go out to vote.CYNICAL PLOY
Post a Comment
<< Home
